Read this report from The Japan Times about over-work in Japanese offices. Here is a short sample:
A cell-phone message can come at any time of the day or night: "Where are you now? What are you doing?" His philosophy: "If you don't supervise your subordinates, they won't work." But "this isn't supervision," says Sasaki, "It's a reign of terror!"
She is, accordingly, terrified. Every time her cell phone beeps she has a panic attack. She suffers bouts of nausea, followed by bouts of binge eating (in three months she gained 7 kg). "Sometimes I catch myself thinking, 'If I cut off my hands, maybe they'll let me rest . . . but no, I'll have to cut off my legs too.' "
If it ever gets that bad, we will be on the first plane back to the UK, to find some David Brent-type character to work for!
(found the link to this article on Hunkabautta)
Posted by Gary at February 4, 2004 11:44 AM